We offer two ranges of inflatable kayaks; both are high end and the prices are not dissimilar, so how do you choose between them? The “winner” is not clearcut as it depends largely on which characteristics you value most, as outlined below. So, KXOne Slider vs Aquaglide Chelan inflatable kayaks :

Performance. The Sliders take this one fairly easily… for the same paddling effort you will go further or faster or both. That long waterline and the hydrodynamically-shaped solid plastic ends give you a clue where the Slider name came from! The Chelans are very good compared with other inflatable kayaks, but the Sliders are faster still.
Tracking (ability to go in a straight line), again both types are very good for inflatables but the Sliders win. The Sliders track amazingly well and in shallow waters/low windspeeds, if you are a reasonably accomplished paddler, you could get away without using the skeg. Indeed some users report that the 485 set up as a single actually tracks almost too well (ie is a bit difficult to turn) if the skeg is fitted, so the answer is to use it without the skeg when they’re paddling alone. A far cry from the beach toy “lilo with sides” type inflatable kayaks that are often seen going round in circles!
Comfort. A win for the Chelans, which have amazingly comfortable seats and height-adjustable inflatable bases. The Slider seats are not bad, but the Chelan seats are better. The design of the Chelan seats means you can (but don’t have to, because the base cushion is inflatable) sit a few inches higher (somewhat akin to height you’d be on a sit-on-top plastic kayak), which a lot of users seem to prefer because their legs don’t have to be quite so flat and the change in angle makes them less prone to rubbing their ankles along the side tubes. And the Chelan seats’ backrest – a combination of rigidity and well-placed padding – seems to suit a lot of people too. With the Slider seats you basically sit at floor level, although it’s not beyond the wit of humanity to devise something to fit beneath them.
Stability. The Chelans are wider, so feel very stable. This is particularly advantageous if you’re stepping down into your kayak, from a river bank or the back of a larger boat for example. The Sliders feel a bit less stable initially, but “stiffen up” as they heel slightly and you soon get used to it. (They are less stable than most inflatable kayaks but more stable than narrow hard-shell kayaks.)
Storage. The Chelans fold smaller, and more easily so, mainly because the Sliders have those hard plastic ends that give them such good performance (everything is a compromise!). Dropstitch fabric is also inherently stiffer (even without air in), ie more resistant to folding, than a conventional tube. Folding a Slider is not actually difficult but requires a particular technique – once learnt it’s very straightforward.
Transport. Both types of boat have substantial backpacks as standard.

In terms of weight and handling on land, they’re very similar.

When you’ve got your inflatable kayak on the water the “KXOne Slider vs Aquaglide Chelan” question is really down to whether you want comfort and stability (Chelan) or better performance (Slider). We should emphasise though that whilst the Sliders are faster than the Chelans, both are almost infinitely better than cheaper models that sag in the middle, making a sort of banana shape… once you’ve tried an inflatable kayak with a dropstitch floor it’s very hard to go back to one without!

Both makes also have very tough single skin construction. Compared to the “double skin” type (an airtight but not very strong bladder inside a protective fabric outer) the single skin construction of the Chelan and Slider kayaks enables a better shape and lighter overall weight… but perhaps most importantly of all is much easier to dry out after use. The double skin type is almost impossible to dry out properly, and if you don’t over time it will get smelly and/or rot.